CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday extended his greetings to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay on assuming office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and welcomed the announcements signed by him immediately after taking charge.
In a statement, Stalin, however, advised the new Chief Minister not to begin his tenure by claiming that the State treasury was empty.
"Please do not start saying there is no money with the government. The funds are there. What is needed is the will to provide for the people and the administrative capability to do so," he said.
Stalin pointed out that the DMK government had implemented numerous welfare schemes over the past five years despite facing challenges such as the COVID pandemic, floods, and what he described as discrimination by the Union BJP government.
Referring to Vijay's remarks that the previous government had left behind a debt burden of Rs 10 lakh crore and an 'emptied treasury', Stalin said, "Tamil Nadu's debt remained within the permissible limits."
He noted that the State's financial position had already been explained in detail in the Budget presented in February.
"You were aware of this even before making several promises to the people. Do not disappoint or mislead the voters who trusted you," he said.
Do not disappoint or mislead the voters who trusted you
-- MK Stalin, former chief minister
Stalin further remarked that Vijay, who had entered office promising only implementable assurances, was now stepping into the realities of governance and would gradually learn the intricacies of fulfilling electoral promises.
"I, along with the people who voted, expect that from you," Stalin said.
After the Swearing-in ceremony, Chief Minister Vijay spoke before the people, saying he would soon release a White Paper on the state's fiscal health.
"Rs 10 lakh crore of debt is lying with the state. The treasury is empty. They have left us with a huge burden. We are taking over the government at this point," he said Sunday, acknowledging the fiscal challenges inherited from the previous DMK government.